The present invention relates to an escalator for lifting coins in connection with outputting coins or tokens from a slot machine or other gaming terminal and in particular to an escalator method and apparatus providing adjustability, e.g., to accommodate numerous different coin diameters and/or thicknesses.
Many styles of slot machines, card game machines, keno machines and similar gaming machines or terminals are configured to output coins or tokens (including coins or tokens minted by governments and coins or tokens minted by casinos or similar gaming operators), e.g., to allow a xe2x80x9ccash-outxe2x80x9d operation and/or to provide prizes for players following a winning game outcome. Generally, a coin hopper or similar device singulates coins and provides coins, one at a time at a coin knife output region or other hopper output region. One example of a coin output hopper is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 5,167,571, incorporated herein by reference. Some gaming terminals are configured with the level of the hopper output region substantially below (such as, e.g., three to twelve inches or more below) the level which is desired or convenient for outputting the coins so as to be retrieved by the players. Accordingly, in some gaming terminal configurations, a device is provided which moves and/or guides coins along a path having a vertical component, from the output level of the coin hopper to the final, higher, coin output level. Such devices are sometimes referred to as escalators. One example of an escalator is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,377, incorporated herein by reference.
Typically, a given coin escalator is configured to accommodate a single size (i.e., diameter and thickness) or denomination of coin or token. While there may be some tolerance in such prior escalators (e.g., to account for coin wear), previous approaches have generally made it necessary for those who fabricate, sell, maintain and/or use gaming terminals to keep, in stock, numerous different configurations of escalators, for use with different sizes or denominations of coins or tokens. Thus, previous approaches have been associated with an undesirably high stocking or warehousing cost for maintaining an inventory of numerous different sizes of escalators, including costs of warehouse or other storage space and associated costs such as security, insurance and the like. Furthermore, previous approaches have been associated with undesirable high costs of training various personnel to properly select, install, use or repair a number of different escalator configurations, including manufacturing personnel, maintenance personnel, sales personnel and others. Furthermore, there is significant design and/or tooling cost associated with creating a new escalator whenever a new size of coin or token is introduced.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an escalator apparatus, method and/or system which permits or facilitates adjustment, e.g., for accommodating a range of coin diameters, a range of coin thicknesses or, preferably, both.
The present invention includes a recognition of the existence, nature and/or source of problems in previous approaches, including as described herein. According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the coin path defined by the escalator is created by a substantially flexible and/or resilient member, e.g., a formed leaf spring, for contacting or guiding the perimeter or edge of coins or tokens for at least a portion of the coin or token path. In one embodiment, an entry or leading edge of the resilient member is coupled to a plate, with the plate being moveable, preferably along a constrained path, so as to adjust the position or shape of the resilient member for accommodating different coin diameters. Preferably, the trailing edge of the resilient member is moveable such as being directly or indirectly coupled to a second plate with the second plate being moveable to define and/or accommodate a range of coin diameters, e.g., at the region where the coin path merges into a linear path portion. In one embodiment, the second plate forms or defines a substantially linear wall for contacting or guiding the perimeter or edge of a coin or token. In one embodiment, the spacing of the second plate and/or of a cover plate, with respect to a back plate, can be modified or adjusted to accommodate a range of coin thicknesses, while substantially avoiding coin shingling or other jamming.